Charles N. Brown

Charles Nikki Brown (1937–2009) was the co-founder and editor of Locus, a news and reviews magazine dealing with the science fiction and fantasy genres of literature. He was born on June 24, 1937 in Brooklyn, New York. He attended City College until 1956, when he joined the Navy. He served in the United States Navy for 3 years. Then he went on to work as a nuclear engineer before becoming a full-time science fiction editor in 1975.

Along with Ed Meskys and Dave Vanderwerf, Brown founded Locus as a news fanzine in 1968 to promote a bid to hold the Worldcon in Boston. Originally only intended to run until the site selection vote, Brown decided to continue running the 'zine and in 1970, Locus was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Fanzine. In 1971, at Noreascon I, the Worldcon Locus was founded to support, the magazine won its first of a record 29 Hugos (as of 2008). Brown died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 72.